Managing Canada's Rural Regions in a Knowledge-Based Economy

Abstract

This paper analyzes rural economic development policy governance in Canada in the context of a globally integrated economy and the attendant structural shifts in industrialized economies. Alongside globalization, there has also been a trend towards institutional decentralization in Canada and other industrialized countries as various sub-national regions employ disparate means for adapting to the threats and opportunities of global economic change. The implications of these transitions suggest the need for certain institutional capacities for horizontal collaboration in rural economic development between policy stakeholders as well as among agencies across various levels of government. The cases of New Brunswick and Manitoba over the past two decades illustrate some of the complexities and challenges of rural economic development policy governance as non-metropolitan regions struggle to carve their niche in the global economy. Keywords: Rural economic development; Globalization; Governance; Regional innovation; Public policy